Parents overheard their toddler’s 'big brother' talk with their rescue pup after it escaped once — his sweet warning moved them
Children often form deep connections with their pets, learning responsibility and compassion along the way. When a New Jersey mother, Teresa Valente (@tcav66), asked her toddler to watch their dog, she witnessed the most wholesome interaction ever. Their rescue dog, Alfie, had run out of the yard and had to be chased down the street. After the incident, the mother captured their 3-year-old son, Jack, having a heart-to-heart talk with the dog that brought her to tears. Sharing the adorable video with her TikTok followers on January 12, 2026, the mother revealed that the conversation created a positive impression on Jack, as reported by Newsweek on January 25, 2026.
@tcav66 Our dog, Alfie, got out of the yard and our son decided he needed to have a heart to heart with him and they even shook on the deal at the end 🥹❤️ #fyp #cutekids #cutedog #animallover #rescuedog ♬ original sound - Tcav66
Teresa Valente and her family had adopted their dog Alfie from Eleventh Hour Rescue, a rescue organization, a few weeks before. However, one night, their dog managed to run out of their yard and had to be chased down the street. The parents also had a chat with Jack about being mindful when opening doors and checking that the gate was shut while they were in the yard.
One morning, before taking her son to school, she captured a heartfelt conversation between the little boy, Jack, and their dog, Alfie. In the video shared by the mother, the little boy can be seen telling his canine companion not to run away, because his mother needs to "see" him. He warned, "She needs to see you, or you won’t be our dog anymore. You will be someone else's and not our dog. So don’t leave. Deal." The conversation ends with Jack making a "deal" with his dog by shaking his hand with his paw.
Speaking to Newsweek, the mother revealed that since the small chat, their dog has not attempted to run away. "Jack decided he needed to have a heart-to-heart with Alfie so he understood everything too," she said. A 2025 study published in PubMed Central analyzed the impact of pet ownership on young children. The findings revealed that consistent exposure to pets was linked to better well-being in childhood. Owning animals was a "protective factor against internalizing problems," the study noted. While Alfie may have joined the family a few weeks before, the impact the dog had on the kid was huge.
Valente's video became a huge hit on TikTok, with users gushing about the adorable video. @Jennifer Annette mentioned, "The way he speaks to that dog speaks volumes about how you speak to him, 'Mommy needs to see you.'" @llamal88 remarked, "My guess is the way he's talking to the dog is the way he is spoken to in times of conflict. Well done, parents." @Glor expressed, "Bless his sweet little heart. So earnest, kind, and heartfelt!"
For more videos, you can follow @tcav66 on TikTok.